Egyptian Authorities Deny Entry to Indonesia's Ambulances for Gaza

Cairo (Antara) - Five ambulances carrying humanitarian aid from Indonesia for the people of Gaza are still stranded in Egypt as they were blocked from entering Gaza by the Egyptian authorities without providing a clear reason. "It remains unclear why the Egyptian authorities stopped the ambulances provided by Indonesia from entering Gaza, while the people there badly need vehicles to transport the sick or injured patients," Indonesian Ambassador to Egypt Nurfaizi Suwandi stated here on Friday. The former Jakarta Metropolitan Police chief noted that he has been trying to set up a meeting with the Egyptian Foreign Ministry official to seek an explanation for restricting the entry of ambulances into Gaza. Earlier, the Indonesian Embassy here sent a diplomatic note No.B460/9/2014 to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry on September 9, 2014, applying for a permit for early stage delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in the form of ambulances, food items, and medicines, and three persons to deliver the items. But, in a reply letter from the Egyptian Foreign Ministry's diplomatic note No.1565 on September 21, it stated that Egypt would only allow the delivery of food items and medicines but will not permit the entry of ambulances and the persons who would deliver them. Suwandi revealed that no clear reason was cited in the diplomatic note from Egypt. Meanwhile, Sudayat Kosasih of the Emergency Response Action (ATD), in charge of the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza, remarked that the ambulances should have been allowed to enter Gaza in July during the Israeli military aggression on Gaza. Kosasih noted that the five ambulances were a form of assistance offered by four Indonesian non-government organizations: the National Committee for the Palestinian People (MNRP), the Jakarta Red Crescent, the Emergency Response Action (ATD), and the Post Caring Ummah of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS-PDU). (*)